| Monthu or Menthu | |
|---|---|
the Egyptian war-god Monthu. He was usually depicted as a falcon-headed man with two plumes and a sun disk. He was also said to have the head of a bull when enraged. |
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| God of warfare, the sun and valor | |
| Name in hieroglyphs | |
| Major cult center | Hermonthis, Thebes |
| Symbol | the sun disk, the knife |
| Parents | Amun and Mut |
| Siblings | Khonsu |
In Ancient Egyptian religion, Monthu was a falcon-god of war. Monthu's name, shown in Egyptian hieroglyphs to the right, is technically transcribed as mntw. Because of the difficulty in transcribing Egyptian, it is often realized as Montu, Montju, or Menthu.
Monthu was an ancient god, his name meaning nomad, originally a manifestation of the scorching effect of the sun, Ra, and as such often appeared under the epithet Monthu-Ra. The destructiveness of this characteristic led to him gaining characteristics of a warrior, and eventually becoming a war-god.
Because of the association of raging bulls with strength and war, Monthu was also said to manifest himself in a white bull with a black face, which was referred to as the Bakha. Egypt's greatest general-kings called themselves Mighty Bulls, the sons of Monthu. In the famous narrative of the Battle of Kadesh, Ramesses II was said to have seen the enemy and "raged at them like Monthu, Lord of Thebes".
In Ancient Egyptian art, he was pictured as a falcon-headed or bull-headed man who wore the sun-disc, with two plumes on his head, the falcon representing the sky, and the bull representing strength and war. He would hold various weaponry, including scimitars, bows and arrows, and knives in his hands.
The Temple of Monthu at Medamud was probably begun during the Old Kingdom era. During the New Kingdom, large and impressive temples to Monthu were constructed in Armant. In fact, the Greek name of the city of Armant was Hermonthis, meaning the land of Monthu. Earlier temples to Monthu include one located adjacent to the Middle Kingdom fortress of Uronarti below the Second Cataract of the Nile, dating to the nineteenth century BCE.
Monthu formed a triad with the goddess Reto and their son Hor-Pre.[1][2]
Mentuhotep, a name given to several pharaohs in the Middle Kingdom, means "Menthu is satisfied".
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